


Heaven Knows

by devalier_rewritten (Hana_Noiazei)



Category: Hetalia: Axis Powers
Genre: Fluff, George Devalier, M/M, WWII AU, fanfic of a fanfic, veraverse
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-20
Updated: 2020-12-20
Packaged: 2021-03-11 01:21:11
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,310
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28196832
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Hana_Noiazei/pseuds/devalier_rewritten
Summary: In which an abandoned church makes for an interesting conversation topic.
Relationships: Germany/North Italy (Hetalia)
Comments: 7
Kudos: 22





	Heaven Knows

**Author's Note:**

> This was based on Alice Jaxerques' animation of the song "Heaven Knows" by Five for Fighting, and set in deValier's "Auf Wiedersehen, Sweetheart".

_The sunlight shone in through the stained-glass windows, bathing Feliciano in a soft topaz glow. His walking almost looked like dancing, a lovely one-man waltz casting shadows across the dirty, tiled floor of the church._

_“I never saw this place on my walks before.” Feliciano turned back and smiled at Ludwig. “How could I have missed an entire church, especially one that’s so pretty?” He spun around in the multicoloured lights. “Look at all this!”_

_He could not deny that the church was pretty, even in its half-dilapidated state. The floor was grubby, the windows were faded and the walls were in need of cleaning, but the painted statues and carved wooden pews were intact. Ludwig watched as Feliciano ran up and down the lengths of the small church, his footsteps echoing._

_After two laps, he stopped next to Ludwig, round cheeks flushed slightly. “Churches are always so beautiful, with their stained glass and carvings,” he said. “If I ever own a house, I’d want my windows to be made of stained glass.”_

_“That would be very colourful.”_

_“Exactly! It would look just like a church, except I hope nobody would mistake my house for one. I don’t want people showing up at my door on a Sunday morning.” Feliciano fidgeted with the bunch of heliotropes he’d picked earlier. “Do you believe in God, Ludwig?” He suddenly asked._

_Surprised by the question, he replied, “I don’t know.”_

_“Neither do I.” He gently swung the bunch back and forth. “I know Vino does, because he crosses himself sometimes. And I don’t know about Grandpa. But I like churches anyways.”_

“ _So do I.”_

_“Do you want to get married in a church?”_

_Heat pricked at Ludwig’s cheeks. Suddenly, he could not meet Feliciano’s eyes. “Yes, I think so, if I were allowed to.”_

_Feliciano laughed. “If we ever find a way to fit Greta in here, you can have a wonderful wedding.”_

_He tried not to laugh; it was amazing how Feliciano managed to be so silly and serious at the same time. “Maybe not with Greta.” He still couldn’t look him in the eye. “I would love to marry a person in a church, though.”_

_“Anyone in particular?” He sounded teasing._

_He stammered, “uh… well…” He became very interested in the grimy floor. “Actually, the person on my mind is - “_

**February, 1944**

Ludwig’s eyes flew open. He was not in the church.

He sat up, shrugging off the thin, scratchy blanket he and his fellow pilots were given. In the bunk above him, someone snuffled.

Feliciano’s bright, airy laugh was still fresh in his head, as was his playful grin. He had had dreams of him every night since leaving him, and a longing wish-fulfilment of the brief time they’d spent in the church just happened to be another one.

When they’d been to the church, they had commented on the windows and the statues, then left a few moments later to keep picking flowers. If only his dream was what had really happened.

For a moment, Ludwig saw Feliciano again, smiling with flowers in his hands and leaves in his hair, rambling away with that sweet voice of his. He saw him laughing, running, singing his lovely songs. Just the thought of him made his heart ache. Goodness, they had only been apart for two weeks and he already missed him so.

Careful to ensure that nobody was looking, he took his photo of Feliciano out of his pocket. He was beaming at the camera, Ludwig’s jacket draped over his shoulders like a cape. He ran his thumb over the photo and sighed. He would see him again one day. 

He’d make sure of it.

…

**July, 1960**

“Look, it’s still up!”

Hands clenched tight on the armrests of his wheelchair, Ludwig nearly yelped as Feliciano pushed him towards the church at full speed. The wheels rolled over rocks and clumps of grass before stopping with a jolt in front of the entrance.

“It’s been so many years!” Feliciano hoisted his wheelchair over the single step with a grunt and rolled him into the church. “Nothing’s changed, huh?”

The lights shining in from the stained-glass windows were as vibrant as ever, and while the filigree frescoes on the walls were a bit more faded, they brought a smile to Ludwig’s face all the same.

All was silent until Feliciano spoke up. “It’s nice to see something that wasn’t changed by the war. We only came here once, and I’m glad to be back.” He sat down at a pew and held Ludwig’s hand. “How about you?”

“I’m happy, too.” He stroked the back of his lover’s hand with his thumb. “Especially since we’re here together.” 

“Too bad we could never have stained-glass windows at home like I said.” Feliciano kissed his cheek. “I told Vino about that and I think he laughed for five minutes straight. Antonio had to ask if he was okay.”

Ludwig smiled. “I think our house is beautiful anyways. It’s probably even better than this old place.”

“This old place?” He repeated. “Don’t be so mean! It’s not that old. You shouldn’t be so rude to the place where we spent time together when we were young.” He kissed his cheek again. “Remember when I asked you if you’d ever get married in a church?”

He shook his head. “With how the world is today, people like us can’t be married anywhere.”

Feliciano snorted. “We don’t need to be officially married by an officiant or something. We can just be married because we say so.”

The years had not stolen away Feliciano’s carefreeness. Ludwig squeezed his hand, imagining if they could ever walk down the aisle. “If that’s the case, then I could just say we were husbands right here and now."

"Of course you could." He kissed his forehead. "And we wouldn't have to say all that 'through sickness and through health, something something something, until death do us part, et cetera et cetera' or have an expensive ceremony. All we have to do is say, 'I think I would like to be your husband' and that would be it. And since you _did_ say that, I suppose we're already married." He extracted two of the many red daisies he’d stored in the breast-pocket of his jacket, and pulled their stems off. After a few moments, he’d managed to knot a pair of crude rings out of them. “Here, we can wear these.”

He let his lover (or could they call each other husbands now?) slide the rough green ring on his fourth finger, then press his lips to it.

Ludwig touched the ring on Feliciano’s hand. “And we did it in a church, too.”

“So you got your wish after all.” He laced their fingers together, grassy rings pressing against each other. Eyes brimming with quiet joy, Feliciano rested his head on his lap and beamed up at him.

They were far from young now, probably what most considered too old to get married. But as Ludwig looked down at the man he’d just been unofficially wed to, he felt twenty years old again, a naive young soldier on the streets of Anzio, rescuing an air-headed young man from a beating. He felt youthful, energised, as though he could race all the way back home. 

“Who will take whose last name?” Feliciano held his hand up to the sky.

“We don’t have to,” he said. “I couldn’t imagine you as anyone other than simply Feliciano Vargas.” 

He laughed at that, sweet and clear, and the captivating sound echoed around the church. Ludwig could not help laughing, too. If he had more energy, he’d tell Feliciano just how much he adored him. But he was getting tired, and he settled for swooping down and claiming his lips.

Only Heaven would know how strong his love was.


End file.
